I almost always find myself on a weekday doing two things around noon. The first involves conjuring up the most elaborate and strangest of excuses in my head as to why I should properly avoid going to the gym. Second is the delightful decision of what to have for lunch, the £2.50 meal deal from Tescos almost certainty after the 10th of the month, where I normally find myself actually affected by the flimsiness of my bank account, is a clear choice. Third, without fail, I log on, sit in front of my computer ( I know that’s actually three things not two…), with a ham and cheese sandwich in one hand, and my mouse in the other, and I choose which of the three most currently interesting individuals from American opinion shows is going to entertain me, as I munch away my lunch hour. The reason I have adopted this fascination/addiction for the Yank political yarn, is because I find it really odd. On that side of the pond the press has opinion based shows weaved, very cleverly I might add, into its broadcast. Most of these opinion hosts come across as anchors, preaching opinion as though it were a hot breaking news bulletin bagel filled with rich creamy fear and death!

The smarter the journalists are, the better off society is. For to a degree, people read the press to inform themselves-and the better the teacher, the better the student body.Warren Buffett

Irony is everywhere. Freedom for the press was put in place to stop the Government controlling the population, thus giving the people of each nation, that has a free press, the truth. A celebrated legal case in 1734 involved John Peter Zenger, a New York newspaper printer who regularly published material critical of corrupt then Governor of New York, William Cosby. He was jailed eight months before being tried for seditious libel. Andrew Hamilton defended him and was made famous for his speech, ending in, “nature and the laws of our country have given us a right to liberty of both exposing and opposing arbitrary power by speaking and writing truth.”While the judge ruled against his arguments, Hamilton invoked the concept of jury nullification, in the cause of liberty, and won a not guilty verdict. The Zenger case paved the way for freedom of the press in the United States to be adopted into their constitution; as one of their founding father’s Governor Morris stated, “The trial of Zenger in 1735 was the germ of American freedom, the morning star of that liberty which subsequently revolutionised America.” This is the only purpose of the press, to tell us the truth. But certainly in a century where phone hacking and scandal runs wild within the press, it’s no longer about the truth, now its about getting that truth, and creating news. All the dark and sordid truths from the intimate lives of celebrities is one of such examples of this irony, but it most certainly isn’t the best.

I have important things to say about the News of the World and the steps we are taking to address the very serious problems that have occurred. Having consulted senior colleagues, I have decided that we must take further decisive action with respect to the paper. This Sunday will be the last issue of the News of the World. James Murdoch

Almost exactly ten years ago Scotland Yard discovered that Milly Dowler’s voice-mail had been accessed by journalists working for non other then News of the World. Together with the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2002, The Police detectives discovered journalists had deleted some of the messages, to make way for new messages as the phone was full, thus freeing up space for new messages, which they could listen to. The deletions misled family and friends into thinking that Milly was still alive. They had destroyed potential evidence from a murder case. Milly’s parents announced via their solicitor that they would pursue a claim for damages against the News of the World,and in September 2011 it was reported that the Dowler family had been offered 2 million pounds in personal damages. This is perhaps one of the best examples as to how the freedom given to the press gets abused for it’s one and only ultimate agenda, making money.

Capitalism attacks and destroys all the finer sentiments of the human heart; it ruthlessly sweeps away old traditions and ideas opposed to its progress, and it exploits and corrupts those things once held sacred.Daniel De Leon

With demonstrations all over the world protesting about the failure of capitalism, current events such as this clearly add to the collective anger. It is becoming increasingly more and more apparent that companies, newspapers and governments deep routed agendas, are purely that of self prosperity and growth. There is little, to absolute zero compassion for the masses. A concoction of PR and clever branding will always attempt to hide from us the intentions of big industry. Perhaps it’s time we all opened our eyes and the people start to really, really get angry.

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